Special to the WJH
ATLANTA — Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has thrown his clout behind the environmental movement to protect the Okefenokee Swamp, a move observers say will have political ramifications even though the legal impacts are probably minimal.
Perdue, a cabinet member during President Donald Trump’s first term, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior last month urging support for a years-long effort to get the national wildlife refuge designated as a United Nations World Heritage Site.
Perdue, who became chancellor of the University System of Georgia after serving as agriculture secretary for Trump, sent the message on Board of Regents letterhead, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The April 17 letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cites a study by an environmental conservation group that said the designation would be an economic boon for the area around the Okefenokee.
“This effort represents an extraordinary opportunity to preserve a national treasure while also delivering incredible economic benefits to the state of Georgia,” Perdue wrote.
The letter did not mention the controversy around one of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystems — draft permits the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has given to Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals for a titanium mine along the swamp’s southeastern border.
The company has said the project would not damage the refuge, but opponents cite research showing it would threaten water levels, increase the risk of wildfires, harm wildlife and pollute water.
Twin Pines President Steve Ingle said in response to Perdue’s letter that it would not affect the company’s bid for a mining permit.
